Elton John reveals surprising message he wants inscribed on his gravestone and it's not about music
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Elton John, who was honored as the TIME's Icon of the Year on Wednesday, December 11, revealed how he wanted to be remembered after his death during a candid interview with People.
Despite being a behemoth in the music industry, the 'Rocket Man' star wants to be remembered as a doting father, as he said, "On my gravestone, all I want it to say is, 'He was a great dad.'"
The 77-year-old shares two sons, Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11, with his husband David Furnish, 62. The couple has been together for more than three decades.
Elton John opens up about his desire to be remembered as a great husband and an even better father
This is, however, not the first time the British singer has spoken out about his desire to be remembered as a father. Previously John gushed about the role of fatherhood in his life during an interview with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts that aired on December 11.
John declared, "My music speaks for itself," but mused, "My legacy is that I was a great husband and an even better father…."
"The music, the career is fantastic. It's been mind-blowing, groundbreaking," he continued, before pointing out, "But the most important thing to me in my life is making sure my children are happy, they have a wonderful life and that I was good to them. That's all that counts."
John was accompanied by his husband during the 'GMA' interview and the couple reminisced about the singer's last concert at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium in 2022. It was the final American stop of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.
During his 2022 performance, John's entire family was present on stage to support the singer, which they revealed was intentional on the 'Bennie and the Jets' singer's part.
Recalling the moment, Furnish said, "Elton wanted the world to really see and feel why he made the decision to stop touring."
Elton John thinks he might 'not be around' to see his sons get married
Elton John’s latest musings on his mortality and fatherhood came just days after the singer shared his fears about not being around his sons long enough in his recently released documentary 'Elton John: Never Too Late'.
For his Disney+ documentary, John let cameras record the moments of his three-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which concluded in July 2023. At one moment, he even revealed that he decided to stop touring to "dedicate more time to raising my children," as per Radio Times.
John further reflected, "I want to see our children get married, but I don't think I'm going to be around for that," referencing his deteriorating health, as reported by Daily Mail.
He added elsewhere that his young sons fear about his death, as he said, "They think about my mortality. They worry about my mortality."
An emotional Furnish sounded distraught as he added, "That really upset me because in my mind I sort of think Elton is going to live forever – we all think that – and Elton is so vibrant that it's an easy thing to believe, but it forces you to confront that reality."
While embracing fatherhood late in his life came with its qualms and challenges, John shared that it was "the greatest thing I've ever done" when he appeared on 'Radio Andy' to promote 'Tammy Faye' on Broadway.
"For me personally, I've had an amazing life, great career, incredible achievements, music, blah, blah, blah, but I would say that our sons, and David, are the most important things to me," he remarked.
